


Lost and Found series.

by AmberAkatsuki



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Bad Jokes, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, I like to change styles, Romance, alternative universe, and theories, cute pearl, cute steven, hidden details, serious drama, their life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 07:43:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9809825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberAkatsuki/pseuds/AmberAkatsuki
Summary: Collection of oneshots in the same AU. 3 parts for now.  [...he had become a stranger to her; another face in the street, another voice confused in the noisy traffic...] Usually posted on Fanfiction.net





	1. Chapter 1

Hi there people! Slight AU cause like AUs. Remember It's a translation so if you find mistakes just let me know and I'm going to fix them. Here my favorite SU pairing. I wrote 80% of this BEFORE of THAT episode but I was very lazy to translate it, some people need to work, you know?

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Greg was 21 when he discovered the universe wasn't so a lonely place all in all. He never traveled to the space but he didn't need it, beings from other worlds came to him; girls born from precious stones no more no less.

Rose, his wife; was robust, tall and she had a voluminous hair into curls like huge petals. Amethyst was a young gem with a childlike form; Garnet was inexpressive and talked little; there was too a certain white gem that was always with Rose, Pearl had short hair and clear eyes, she was delicate and no one centimeter taller or shorter than him.

For a time he was really happy, he never imagined how It was going to end. A decade later Pearl put his newborn baby into his arms, his wife had dead cause she loved her son enough.

For the gems who were almost inmortal beings, It was not easy to cope and Greg was sure they blamed him in one way or another, cause if he hadn't appeared Rose would be with them still.

One year past before he noticed, his head was too busy trying to process all what had ocurred but then he noticed.

She didn't stop talking to him, Pearl didn't say cruel words at the first opportunity, she didn't try to kill him, no, and still, he knew everything had changed. Rose's death had finished their friendship. She began to talk to him in a cold calm, her quiet face seemed to do not acknowledge his existence, It was like she was talking herself out loud.

He should have undertood, this shouldn't bother him, but each time their eyes met he only could see that void in them, he had been erased from her mind; for him there wasn't hate or anger, not anymore, by now all that had disappeared, had been blown out, It was like she wasn't able to feel nothing for him, nothing.

The worst part was the naturality with she was doing it, he had become a stranger to her; another face in the street, another voice confused in the noisy traffic.

He had that feeling of have lost something forever, of have done something that couldn't be fixed in anyway. Greg knew It wasn't his failure, that Rose decided when the baby was on his way, Pearl knew it too but for Pearl he was a miriad of emotions, collapsed one against another and somehow in the process all of them were burnt down.

With Steven It completely different; she smiled, carried him like somebody proctecting a tresure and sometimes he could hear her singing, soft and sweet until he fell asleep. Pearl wanted Steven even before he was born, before everybody knew what was going to happen, It didn't matter he were a human...after of course of a while of incredulity and horror. A gem "creating" a human being was more than a little strange.

Before of be born Steven had a name and a family, It was true still and Greg couldn't be more grateful for that, but It really affected him to be treated in this way.

He wanted to say it to her, but that could mean to discuss a painful memory. Sometimes people simply can not do so, nobody wants to remember those things; so you keep silent and wait buring everything, maybe the next time it escapes you'll be prepared.

\--

They were in his office, in the car wash, she had to say just few things to him and then get home. He didn't hear the half of what she said. Greg had waited, but had passed three years already and she never...no once...Greg looked down gritting his teeth in a mix of anger and frustration. Pearl didn't distinguish it or she decided just to ignore the matter, she had finished with what she had to say so she turned and began to leave. He couldn't endure it anymore.

"PEARL, I'M STILL RIGHT HERE!" Her eyes were open wide, his sight followed his own hand, he had grabbed her arm, maybe too much tight, maybe brusquely. He let her go like the contact was burning him. "I...I'm sorry"

The door opened suddenly, Amethyst got in, a bored look in her eyes "How long It's going to ta-?" She saw strangely between both, they were frozen "...what? Is something happening?"

Greg didn't know if Pearl understood It wasn't his intention, If she heard the desperation in his tone or if she simply didn't want to involve Amethyst but she shook her head slighly "It's nothing," she made a break getting close to the other gem "we can go already if you want"

"It was about time!" exclamed Amethyst rising her arms in a exageration "The ice cream is going to be all melted"

"That ice cream is for Steven, Amethyst" answered Pearl while she went through the door.

\--

Greg was driving under the rain, It was evening, the end of a bad day. It had been raining all the week, a week without sun or the clarity of the sky but overall without custumers! nobody wash his car with a weather like this so a slow week and ...he was starving. Normally these things weren't enough to drown his eternal optimism, all in all he was on his way to pick up his son but today...the destiny was trying hard. The van stopped suddenly in the middle of the street and he closed his eyes containing himself

Now he had to get off in the rain in order to find what was wrong. He opened the door and It was like step into a waterfall, he got soaked right away. He accepted the inevitable with a murmured complaint and resignation. Why was it that sometimes life seemed to spit him in the face?

After a quick check he didn't find flat tires and the tank wasn't empty so he got under the van murmuring about that "dammit leak" he had been busy to repair before.

Suddenly he saw a pair of boots appear close to the van "Get out of there Greg" said the tired voice of Pearl. He was paralized, there was emotion in her tone and It was wonderful to listen it again.

"I...need to find the leak" explained Greg.

"You can't fix a car under the rain!" she protested and he almost could see her rolling her eyes "Besides, surely the spark plugs got wet" she murmured turning to look in another direction.

He got out, the rain was less strong now, slow but continious drops were falling down. Pearl was standing there with gray clouds as a background, she was wearing a raincoat and held an umbrella in one hand half leaning it against her shoulder. In the other hand she held a supermarket bag.

She didn't say anything but walked to the passenger door and opened it putting the bag inside then she got in the van closing the umbrella. Greg awoke realizing he should do the same. He opened the driver's door, there was a towel waiting for him on the seat. After he saw it a couple of seconds he got in trying to dry at least his hair. She wasn't paying attention, she looked at the clear drops crashing against the glass.

They sat there for a long while, the silence only disturbed by the sound of the water beating the roof and the hard pavement in the street.

Pearl always found this environment calming, she let go a sigh "couldn't you just leave the things the way they were, could you?" she spoke quietly but there was a slight tint of irritation in her voice. "I gave you up..." her tone changed at that moment, her face lost Its serenity "...If I couldn't..." she was struggling with the words, her eyes narrowed, she frowned "If I couldn't order it...if so many things were confusing to me" Pearl who always knew what to say, that spoken complicated and made rhyme phrases for fun couldn't express herself. "I just wanted to leave it behide, if I couldn't deal with it then I had to desist, I just had to abandon it" She inhaled deeply "Why do you insist with it?" she asked honestly "I didn't want to have anything to do with you"

He didn't answer for long seconds, why did he insist? why was he trying to get It back?. That was a good question actually "I miss you" he said simply and she felt something shattering inside of her.

She almost began to laugh but inmediantly the sound was drowned and a pair of tears fell slowly from the edges of her eyes.

"Sometimes I really hate you" she said averting her eyes "you are always speaking, looking at me like you're asking for forgiveness"

He could understand better the situation then, the last two years did had an effect after all, just like when somebody comes out of shock she was slowly losing her impassivity, he just had let everything get out in a hurry.

"I never wanted everything to end this way. There wasn't anything that I could have done"

"Then, why do you apologize?"

She looked at him again "Emotion is not rational Greg, It just...is there"

His hand looked for hers, she took his weakly just letting him to hold it. He was not a stranger, he was not just a human being more, neither another life she saw pass with disinterestedness; against her very will he was important to her.

After a minute he blinked, her hand was warm; gems had never had body heat, of course they could have it if they wanted but Pearl never bother in that kind of things, those business were unnecessarily human, even more, she felt a certain disgust for the characteristic the others copied.

She smiled a little noticing his surprise "Steven always shivered, each time I carried him"

"Seriously?! Did you do this for him?!" She could have wrapped him in sheets, time after time, annoying work but Pearl would do a lot in order to avoid some things proper to "organic life"; she didn't have to do such a strong, more permanet change. "You really love him"

She lifted an eyebrow "Why are you so surprised?"

Greg looked to side, "well, sometimes I wonder..." he didn't know If he should tell this to her, It seemed pretty ridiculous now. "I thought maybe you would be at least a little...angry at him"

She looked at him confused, then she frowned and opened her mouth to speak but she didn't, she tried again "It was never about to choose one or the other. I could understand if she didn't wanted to separate herself from him, she wouldn't want to see him die." she looked down "If I tell you something...could you not tell the others?"

It seemed serious, he nodded without looking away

"Rose needed a gem, but It didn't have to be hers" her voice was low but he could hear it very clear "I told her she could use mine, Rose refused to do so."

Greg's eyes grew wide, she half expected him to ask why?, he could have had both, he could have had his famility together.

"You tried to give him yours!" he almost shouted, then his eyes got softer "I'm sorry for asking Pearl, sometimes I think the stupidest things"

She fixed her gaze on him, contemplating his intentions, looking for a trace of falseness there but she didn't find it, she looked away trying to ignore that lump in her throat

"Oh, the rain is stopping, the van will start in a while"

"uh? yes, It's night already, Steven is going to be worried cause I didn't pick him up on time" he said gladly "and maybe I'll get something to eat on my way back, Gosh I'm really hungry"

She smiled slightly and then moved looking for her groceries. It wasn't until she let go his hand in order to reach the bag that he realized how while they were talking she had interlaced fingers

She took out a paper bag, there was a sandwich in wrapped in aluminum foil and a paper cup. She extended her hands to give them to him. The food was stil warm and because of the smell that was a cappuccino.

"Garnet said there was a chance I could stumble on you" He rised his eyebrows, from the very beginning she had come here to make amends with him "Thanks Pearl" he said with a little too much sentimentality to be grateful for a sandwich

\--

Steven was 15 now and he hadn't changed since he was 8, his son probably was stopped in the time forever just like the girl dancing with him, they met 25 years ago but she was still this pretty thing smiling softly at him. They were the same, he was not. He really wish he were like them, he would like to be that silly boy who was passing through Beach City.

"He used to be beautiful" that was what he heard Pearl saying to a 3 years old Steven once.

"You're distracted" she said "What is It?" she spoked low.

"Nothing" he answered.

A spin and he was smiling too, He loved this sensation; a body just a little smaller than his own, fragile hands and a gentle touch he could recognize with closed eyes.

Pearl lost a little the rhythm, she did this sometimes, when If he were a gem they would fuse.

"You never did this too much with humans, did you? Dancing just for fun"

"human? Oh, yes, I keep forgetting" she said sweetly as a whispered joke. How many times had she called him like that in a malicious tone? Then her voice got amused "No, I never did this with anybody else" A soft fast kiss that made his train of thought jump the rails.

Pearl let him go chuckling "Are you not a human?" he said "I keep forgetting."

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If you enjoyed the story leave a review, maybe I'll write something more, see you


	2. Imitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst never realized why she was so bad at everything and so good at shapeshifting.

Disclaimer: Rebecca Sugar. Does it ring a bell to you?

I promised a new oneshot a while ago so sorry it took more than I expected. Well, when 60% of the work was done I had to abandon it lol, scratch that, I had to take a break xP.

This was written for a Spanish community and it's a translation.

Please don't write fanfics of my fanfics without asking for permission. 

On the other hand if somebody is writing a PearlGreg and want to discuss something just send me a message

Oh, and yes, you can use my stories as GregPearl headcanons. I'm talking to you, you know who you are ^_^

SOME mistakes in the spelling were corrected in the first episode xD OMG.

 

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Pearl and Garnet told her a story once or something like that; It wasn't much after they found her in the kindergarden, when she was still young, small like a human child. She couldn't remember very well, but it was about how gem powers work better as a manifestation of their personalities.

Amethyst never thought so much about that and because she never thought about it she never realized why she was so bad at everything and so good at shapeshifting. Imitating was for her almost a reflex and the more she tried the more perfect the copy was

She was a child when her partners met this human boy with had long hair, that one who became Rose's husband.

Steven was 4 years old, it was 14 years since Greg met the girls and now he spent days in his storage unit watching his old favorite show with Amethyst. Greg always loved that program but there was something else in those tapes that made him forget about everything, that made everything disappear.

Some could get that effect hearing a song or holding a cup of whiskey under dim lights; his mind could go back to a time long ago gone, he wanted to cling to those days, had wanted it to last forever. He had met his girlfriend a bit more than a year before and he was Mr. Universe; he would be famous, he'd perform in front of big crowds cause he had a gift. Even If he couldn't get that, it could have been enough just staying there.

He liked to return to his thoughts then, to his feelings then, it was almost like come back into the time. Still there were things in the present that made him awake, there were reasons to live now, reasons to want to be here.

It almost midnight while he was resting his eyes when one of those reasons appeared, sitting on the ground with her legs folded to one side, she was next to his improvised bed. Pearl looked at him frowning slightly.

"Hey" he greeted weakly. The room was dark but the TV was still turned on, the tape had finished and there wasn't anybody to change It.

She let escape a resigned sigh "hi" she answered then in a low voice

"Did I fall asleep a long while?" he said sitting, rubbing his eyes

"Ten minutes since I arrived" She had been debating with herself if she should wake him up or not. He didn't seem to be sick but he didn't seem healthy neither. Pearl visited the place every now and then If a couple of days passed without news from them but this time those were more than a couple of days.

Amethyst awaked somewhere among some boxes hearing a conversation. She heard the interchange without getting out from her not so visible position. The room was so full up with old furniture, clothes and weird stuff and in such a disorder that it was hard to see something wasn't immediately in your line of vision.

At the end Greg was standing at the door.

"Shees Pearl, I don't know how thank you" he said after putting a packet on an old speaker.

"It's nothing" she answered but then she said "Just, Could you spend more time with Steven? He isn't used to prolonged absences"

"O-of course I'll do It, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened" he said rubbing his neck "I forgot"

He watched her leave and smiled, he didn't avert his eyes until she was out of sight. Behind him shone a light throughout the room.

"I feel pity for you" a voice made his eyes go wide. Slowly he turned around, Pearl was standing there or Pearl like she used to be years ago, many years ago. Greg muted, his eyes fixed on her. When he dreamed sometimes she looked like this, just like those times he appeared in the house he lived as a child even though it didn't exist anymore. Hundreds of images flooded his head, memories, filled up his brain in those short instants.

Every small detail was in its place, the expression on her face was that one he knew so well, that one with she looked down at you even being at the same height, It lacked that sweet resignation with she spoke earlier. It was until he saw the encrusted gem in her chest, half-covered by the translucent net over her shoulders that he understood.

"A-Amethyst?" She had never done something like this; it was a perfect copy, the imitation of the sound too.

"Just a little kindness...It's all what is needed" there was disappointment in the tone barely more childish Pearl used to have.

"What are you doing? What's wrong with you?"

"It has always been like this, hasn't It?" She didn't rise her voice, like Pearl wouldn't do,

"She was cruel, you two were fighting all the time, but you didn't care" the girl smiled warmly, such a cute face with a touch made her look embarrassed, the occasional shyness he found with time under all her pride and distant aptitude. He had to make an effort to remember she wasn't the real one. "It didn't matter to you cause she had pretty eyes and this soft voice"

"That's not true!"

"Of course It is" Amethyst said that like a record of Pearl's words but an emotion only hers and she was losing control of It "Do you believe I can't see it?! You are begging for a bit of her attention. Just because she decides don't treat you as garbage, all suddenly that's so special"

Her tone changed again into that one more calculated Pearl had but charged with something alike to a stifled laugh "You are pathetic old man, she's just like you, she just...adore to have pretty things, she would never want to be with you, but hey, who would?" Amethyst stopped, realizing "Only she could" her form began to expand and change into the light.

This second shape wasn't so perfect, It wasn't so exact, but for Greg's horror It was her face with no doubt "If Rose hadn't been there, It could have been Pearl, couldn't it?"

What Rose said after made him flee. She wanted to hurt him and she got it.

Rose's body began to deform until Amethyst emerged from the light gasping, sweating. A more accurate transformation needed so much energy. Her tired face was distorted by a smile barely distinguished while she caught her breath. She thought what she'd done was just like releasing a scream, it felt good.

Amethyst let herself fall on the ground. "He deserved it" murmured; the image, however, came back, it appeared again in her mind. She frowned. The way Greg looked at Pearl...Amethyst wanted him to look at her in the same way.

She felt her eyelids heavy; it wasn't just about Pearl's form, was it? Greg admired Pearl, she wanted that, she wanted that admiration. Greg respected Pearl too, why didn't she have that respect? He thought Pearl was so great, Amethyst made a grimace. For him she wasn't like Garnet or Amethyst, she was special.

Amethyst wanted to be Pearl, because Amethyst was envy. Despite everything It wasn't her spontaneous personality her stronger trait, It wasn't the disorder she carried everywhere. If there was a feeling stronger than all the others, it was envy.

Envy imitates, hates what it can't copy, hates everything it does not possess, hates cause It cannot do a distinct thing. Amethyst didn't want to be like Pearl, she wanted to be Pearl

Greg and She were very similar, both were a disaster after another, they were a mess but their reaction was opposite. Amethyst knew, he would never look at her in the way he looked at Pearl, because Greg loved Pearl.

Why? Pearl never did anything but make fun of him.

\--

Greg had much in his mind, he fell asleep very late, tired of thinking; he didn't want to think in anything anymore. He awoke the next day with disappointment, last night happened and It was still very fresh in his memory.

There are moments where the gears moving somebody's life stop, he couldn't avoid to feel like that every now and then, like broke down without a way to advance, still after long minutes he got up to work.

\--

Taking care of a human child was different to take care of a gem, Amethyst used to be hard to handle when she was an infant; always jumping to the first thing could catch her curiosity, the kind of creature you had to keep an eye on constantly. Pearl made a gesture at the memory, she had to add: Lacking sense of self-preservation.

However Amethyst was never so young as Steven was. Pearl learned something new from Steven that morning: Children just hear reasons for a while.

When Steven asked about his father, she answered "Surely He's busy", "He has to work" or "He said he would come soon". The toddler became sad and then forgot about the matter, but today after asking Steven began to cry, low, sobbing. Quietly gasping for air. She just looked at him for instants, surprised that her little one was reacting so. He was sitting on her cleaned floor.

"Come on Steven" she said picking him up "We'll look for dad"

They went directly to the storage unit but it was locked, her first guess was that finally they had fried the VHS and now they would need to get another device.

"What's that?!" said Pearl in a mood she didn't feel but distracted Steven "Is dad there inside?" asked to the toddler. She opened the van's doors with a hand.

"No?" Pearl forgot the game a little when she found the van empty and noticed there weren't remains in Pizza boxes or Chinese food around, actually the van was quite neat. Surely he hadn't been here for a while. She stopped to think but then smiled again to the child. "What do you think Steven? Our prey is elusive" Steven didn't answer.

She smiled wide; for real this time "E-lu-sive" said closing the doors again.

They were standing in front of the door in Greg's office in the carwash, more like Pearl was standing carrying Steven.

"Knock the door Steven" he closed his small hand into a fist and knocked, Pearl repeated almost at the same time, of course, nobody was going to hear that baby knock.

She knocked again "Greg!" she called "Are you there?" there wasn't any reply.

Pearl hoped the door weren't locked, she didn't want to rip out the door but she would have to do so, It could be repaired after.

No, it wasn't locked.

"Dad!" the boy in her arms exclaimed, his face gleaming. Greg was wearing headphones and hanging laundry to dry on tied strings around the office. Pearl put him down to let him walk.

"Steven!" he took off the headphones when he saw him and picked him up "How have you been little buddy?" he had wanted to see his boy before but It was just few days after what happened with Amethyst and she would be there, Pearl would be too.

Pearl was glaring at him, he had made her baby cry but she had to be careful, she wasn't going to argue in front of Steven.

"He wanted to see you" Pearl said with some irritation "Seriously Greg, it has been more than a week" Greg didn't answer, he remained quiet but his expression became serious.

She saw the change, it wasn't like him. Greg was a meek man who usually admitted it when he knew he had messed up, normally he would be trying to make an excuse immediately or just plainly apologizing. She stared at him for seconds forgetting her annoyance "Are you ok?"

"yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" he wanted to know if Amethyst had told her.

"Where have you been? Amethyst came back to the temple three days ago so you haven't been with her."

She didn't know "Working, I must have lost the track of time" he said holding the boy a little tighter. It was so good to have his boy again.

Pearl lifted her eyebrows, clearly that was a lie, but she stayed quiet.

Surprisingly it was good to see her too.

\--

It was that season when the days are shorter than the nights. Steven was 14 years old and he was playing outside before dinner with that strange pet the gems let him keep.

Amethyst was lazily lying down close to the window. She and Greg had become friends again, yes, like it always had been. Until that day he never understood what could have possessed her to use his wife's form or Pearl's. Greg simply assumed Amethyst blamed him for Rose's death and wanted to take revenge in some way.

The truth was much more selfish; ten years is a lot time to think even for an almost half-immortal creature and Amethyst little by little could understand that by what it was.

She came to understand it, he didn't think about her in that way, he fell in love with somebody else. And Pearl, Pearl was her family too, that's why she never told her anything. She never said face to face one single word with the hate she felt sometimes. It's not so easy, you know it's wrong, especially because that was the same person used to hold her young self in arms. Still occasionally those feelings appeared again and often she let herself be led by them.

*tumk* *tumk* Her eyes went to the roof, they were walking on the roof, by this time they should be finishing up the repairs, the huge hole over Steven's bed, that one over the kitchen and those small failures.

Greg was good at these things and he liked to repair the damages himself. He said it was more personal and must of all it was cheaper.

They had built the house in first place; a hole in the roof, a new wall from time to time shouldn't be so serious.

Pearl had learned to make the repairs very fast, "Cause she's soo smart!" thought Amethyst frowning.

In order to look through the window she turned around in her comfortable cushion. Outside the sky was a faint orange, there was a ladder leaned against the wall, tools that probably were his scattered around.

Greg went down carrying the leftovers, pieces of wood they didn't use, he pile them up on the floor but then he stretched out his hand to Pearl, to help her to get down, she took it without pausing.

Amethyst rolled her eyes, Pearl didn't need help, she just...adored courtesies and to have someone to care for.

He got his tools but walked toward Pearl again before leaving "See you tomorrow" Greg kissed her cheek as farewell, she blushed a little, even now Pearl felt a bit embarrassed showing this kind of affection when there were people around...or in several miles around.

She said good bye too and went back to the house carrying her tool box

Pearl passed by her place. This was the end, the purple gem could feel it but she had to hear something else before "Do you really love him?" she said suddenly.

The question caught her with guard down but the intensity in her tone made Pearl stop and turn around. For some reason it seemed more important than an opportunity to tease her so Pearl smiled slightly and answered "A lot"

Amethyst stood up and went over to her room's door. He was never hers to let him go, but now he belonged to somebody, yes, he was her possession just like an eye or a hand; that was what she heard Vidalia saying once, that it was like the gem in her chest, something like that for those of her type. Now she could let it die, she didn't do so when he was with Rose but at last this could die.

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Well, there it is, based on the famous never reveled incident was mentioned in the episode Maximum capacity

Let me know your opinions


	3. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While he sleeps she thinks.

I published the spanish version of this story in October 29th, just few days before "Three gems and a baby" so as you know it's an AU.

Please don't write fanfics of my fanfics without asking for permission.

On the other hand if somebody is writing a PearlGreg and want to discuss something just send me a PM

This is a translation if you find a grammar mistake or a structure doesn't make sense send me a PM and I'm going to correct it.

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Pearl awoke in middle of the night, her eyes moved slightly while she became aware of the surroundings. She was in a bedroom, yes, a human bedroom this time, on that big bed with white sheets; next to her Greg was deeply asleep; he was wearing those pajamas she insisted he should wear instead of sleeping in his clothes.

She didn't come here every night but Greg liked her to sleep so she began to do so more and more often, sleeping was nice too. Pearl smiled relaxing again on her pillow; she got just a little closer to him enjoying for some reason the heat emanating from his body. By now she had imitated much of a human body's working, she had blood and temperature, but he was always warmer; thinking about that, maybe it was so because he was a human man and their biology included a temperature a little higher that was more complicated than it seemed.

Sometimes Pearl awoke during the night, her sleeping cycle was disordered still, just few hours or until so late Greg had to wake her up; sometimes Greg, sometimes Steven. The house was so close to the temple that they were more than neighbors. Greg could keep conversations with Steven shouting rather than getting a phone or just waking to the temple; her eyebrows drew together, well, maybe she had done that a couple of times from Steven's room.

Homeworld was still a threat, corrupted gems were still coming after them; there were thousands of monsters scattered around the earth but in general they had a peaceful life and she was happy. Pearl imagined this was the life Rose wanted.

The first time they saw toward the earth none of them had this in mind. Rose wanted to protect this world, Pearl felt pity for the place; there was so much here that didn't exist in Homeworld, so much that didn't exist anywhere else. From the distance it looked like a treasure of shifting white waves that she didn't want to disturb, but Pearl could never have done something like beginning a rebellion, she would have crushed this planet. Homeworld needed resources and for her home she would have done it. Rose wasn't like that, Rose believed the earth was more valuable than homeworld. She does began a rebellion. Pearl's eyes narrowed quietly at that, "More valuable than homeworld", for a long time Pearl hadn't thought that way, for centuries and milleniums she hadn't believed Rose was like that.

For Rose there were other reasons for the rebellion; the system in Homeworld was too strict, too severe and ordered for Rose's personality; she wanted to give them more freedom, she really desired it, but under all that was her love for the earth. Rose would do the impossible to make everybody to be fine, that was her and even so, without any other option, Rose would protect the earth over Homeworld.

Pearl missed Homeworld. It was as if her nature tied her to Homeworld in a manner it didn't tie Rose. Pearl saw Greg moving and her thoughtful expression became tender. She found in the earth things she could never have got in Homeworld.

One day sixteen years before she could have died and Rose could have had this life.

"I don't understand" Pearl remembered have said to Rose with incredulity and astonishment, barely pronouncing the words "How to do something like that? Why?"

Rose's voice answered in her mind "Why does he have to disappear?" Pearl rested her head his arm.

"Just like that, they grow and change to die after, fade away leaving nothing after them, they wilt. I'd wish to keep something his, but even this creature is a human who will die too soon; I don't want him to die and I don't want his father to die neither. I love them so much."

The extra weight made Greg half wake up, he drew her closer to him, putting a hand over her and her head on his chest where she could rest comfortably and hear his breathing. By now the thoughts of the gem had taken that path she always tried to avoid. Very slightly she rubbed her cheek against him. That and her lacking complaint about the sudden movement told him something was wrong.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"No" she said pronouncing between a sad smile "I like to be here"

Greg went from amazement to feeling touched, she was so- "It must be the texture of the fabric" Pearl said in a pretended tone of analysis, her old passive semi-uninterested speech, while examining his shirt between two fingers.

Greg chuckled, a long time ago she used to make this kind of excuses whenever she said something good about him. The laugh she expected broke her stern expression in something akin to the verge of tears, she suppresed it so that he wasn't able to notice. Greg put a kiss on her hair.

"I don't want to separate from him" Rose said.

Pearl had said to Rose, Greg had to die, he was her friend too but humans were born for that and Rose had known it from the very beginning. It was the truth, they were temporal.

For Pearl there was never a feeling associated to human beings, no really, they went and came to never being seen again; just people passing by, she never cared. Occasionally she had tried to study their behavior but she was never close enough. Then Greg arrived and some way she had ended in this situation.

The gem barely smiled, a while ago she had noticed his father had a heart beating with almost the same rhythm than Steven's, their times were almost the same; children didn't have a real heart rhythm until they were born and copied their parent's.

Of course, she had learned all that because of Steven; all in all he didn't come to exist cause Rose stopped to do so, he already had been living for months inside of his mother.

"You thought the baby would be like one of us even if he wouldn't be a gem" that was what Pearl felt, one of them even if his life would be so short. That notion made her stop and frown in an aflicted concentration. "I can't let him die, I can't see him die"

"Steven will be something so wonderful, something new. A little of his father and a little of me too that will stay after both disappear. A human who won't die; better than that, he'll be a gem too."

Pearl heard those words in the background, Rose had continued talking but she was in middle of her own conflict. What Rose was about to do wasn't an insane thing and nobody was going to make her change her mind, it was almost understandable, Rose wanted to save her son. Her eyes grew wider while Rose spoke words she couldn't catch anymore "I will do it!" Pearl heard her own voice saying.

She said if Rose was right and all what she needed was a gem for the creature was going to be born, then Rose could take hers, a pearl would be enough. I couldn't be too much difficult, a move and Rose would have her gem in a hand, she could absorb the gem into her body and give it to the baby. Pearl knew Rose would be able to do it, but she didn't.

It was Rose who disappeared in glowing fragments, like embers extinguished in the nocturnal air, and it was Pearl who held the baby in arms for first time to take him to his father.

This insignificant thing had been crying for a while before she approaches. When she picked it up, wraping it in a blanket certain perflexity invaded her, it was very soft; she could almost feel the bones under his flesh with just pressing a bit. She observed it meticulously, she hadn't known what appearance it was going to have. "Steven? Is that you?" she said aloud.

He stopped crying all suddenly at the sound of her voice, so they really could hear during their gestation, couldn't they?. Strangely the creature fit its eyes on hers. Dark irises met bright ones for a long minute. "It-It's my pleasure"

Years after, when she told Greg about her greeting, he repressed a laugh, he called it "period of recognition", cause there wasn't a best way to receive a baby in this world than with a shake of hands and a "congratulations". He got to see her blushing but a killing glare too.

Steven was just few months old, Pearl had been carrying him with his little head on her shoulder because of the colics bohtered him frequently but now that he was calmed again Garnet told her Greg was here to pick him up. Garnet streched her arms to change the baby. Surprisingly Pearl realized she didn't want to let him go.

Steven was different to Rose and so was her wish to protect him. It was moved by something in his absolute defenselessness, perhaps the way he demanded her affection reaching out with his little hands or tried to communicate with low small sounds though he couldn't speak yet or maybe it was because of the way he trembled and stuck to her whenever he was scared. Steven wasn't the powerful Rose Quartz, he couldn't be as her comrade in arms, he wasn't impressive or courageous as his mother had been. He was innocent and the purest love of all of them.

Garnet was still keeping her arms forward "Come on Pearl, I'm sure his father wants to hold him too"

The moonlight got into the room through a window at the other extreme of the bedroom, the curtains slightly moved with the wind.

Greg wasn't much bigger than she was, he had her same height and a body was easily broken, besides he wasn't strong, not even like other humans. It was ridiculous but when he held her like this, she felt safe.

Before than her feelings for Greg were what they were now, there had some times when she wondered if being in Rose's place she would have done the same. Now she knew she would have never done that. Greg didn't like even joke about it, from the beginning he was fine with what was inevitable, in his species this ending has repeated itself enough to make them accept it, they've never had option anyway. However what Greg wasn't ready to accept was the death of those who he cared about, the pain Rose didn't want to bear. Pearl didn't want to hurt him, she wouldn't do something like that knowing he didn't agree.

Her circumstances weren't exactly the same neither. Steven was there and all suddenly her life didn't seem just be hers to dispose of it.

"You're very quiet" Greg said "You know you can tell me what's bothering you, right?"

"Yes" she answered with a degree of content.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, after" She concentrated on her surroundings, on this moment, the future was uncertain but just now she could enjoy the present, she closed her eyes "I just want to be here" she said listening the sound of his heart beating, paying attention to the wind outside and his warming embrance in the darkness of the room, she smiled, maybe...maybe there was a way to prevent his death, not everything was lost yet, she had to try at least.

When he wanted to talk again she was asleep already "Good night Pearl"

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..

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Don't worry this is my story so likely Greg will live forever xD

But, how did he get a house? that's another story


End file.
